


stars in the sky

by AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed



Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: Alcohol, Childhood Trauma, Drunken Kissing, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, charlie is a clingy drunk thats a fact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 12:12:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17487830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed/pseuds/AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed
Summary: Charlie gets drunk, and Ruby gets a deeper look into her girlfriend's past





	stars in the sky

Charlie Strand is a lot of things. She’s fierce, beautiful, and intelligent. She’s someone with a constant fire under her skin, willing to be the warmth for those she cares about when they need it, even more willing to burn those who cross her.

 

At least when she’s sober. 

 

Of all the things Charlie Strand is, Ruby never expected her to be this adorable when drunk. 

 

Actually, drunk is an understatement. She’s totally wasted right now.

 

“I didn’t think you were such a lightweight,” Ruby says to her. She’s had a good amount to drink herself, but she isn't reacting like this, just feeling a little foggy.  

 

Must be all the practice she’s had.

 

Charlie grins up at her with glassy hazel eyes, a little too bloodshot to accompany the smile on her face. 

 

“I dunno what you mean.” She stands up from the couch, trying to reach the almost empty wine bottle that Ruby is now holding out of her reach, but she seems to have lost complete control of the long legs she’s inherited from her father, and topples forward. 

 

 _“Charlie!_ Shit!” The wine bottle falls onto the carpeted floor, and mercifully doesn’t break as Ruby lurches to catch her completely inebriated girlfriend. Charlie is a head taller than Ruby, but weighs about the same, and now Ruby’s legs have to support double her bodyweight, her arms wrapped around Charlie’s waist, holding her up. 

 

“You’re such a mess,” Ruby says with a small laugh.

 

‘Yeah, but ’m your mess,” Charlie replies, her words muffled due to her pressing her face into Ruby’s shoulder. She smells like wine and lavender, and her light brown hair is tickling Ruby’s nose. Coaxing Charlie into a more upright position, Ruby leads her back to the couch. When she’s certain that Charlie isn’t going to roll off, she starts to walk away so she can get the other woman some water to try and counteract the next morning’s hangover, but Charlie lets out a whine and grabs Ruby’s hand.

 

“Don’t go,” she says. 

 

“I’m just going to get you something to drink,” Ruby replies, trying to reassure her, hoping Charlie doesn’t request another glass of wine. 

 

Charlie huffs a laugh and says, “My mom said that once, but she ended up leaving and she didn’t come back til next morning.”

 

Ruby stops in her tracks. It’s been awhile since Charlie even mentioned Coralee Strand, let alone divulge a hint about her lost-to-the-winds mother. “What?”

 

“Stay with me?” Charlie pleads, gazing up at her with an expression that Ruby can never say no to.

 

Ruby relents, and comes back to the couch, sitting down next to her girlfriend, who instantly curls up next to her. “What did you mean about your mom, Charlie?’ Ruby asks softly. Charlie nestles her head just under Ruby’s chin, toying with her sleeve. 

 

“I don’t ’member all the way. I was kinda sick, like throwing up and shit, and my dad was late working, so she was at home, like taking care of me and stuff. She got a call from someone, called him ‘Warren,’ I think. She left a couple minutes when she hung up-after she hung up. Said she was going to pick up some stuff for me, like tea and shit. My dad came home at like, midnight, and she was still gone.”

 

Knowing what she knows from listening to Alex Reagan’s podcast, something twists in Ruby’s stomach. That must have been tough, for both Charlie and Dr. Strand. “That’s shitty, Charlie, I’m sorry-” 

 

“You smell nice,” Charlie mumbles, her mind already jumping to something else. Ruby’s not sure if it’s the alcohol or Charlie’s standard evasion of discussion about her childhood and her parents.

 

“Do I?” she asks. 

 

“Yeah,” Charlie says, lifting her head to look at Ruby. A small smile curves her lips, and her fingers dance across the bridge of Ruby’s nose. “You’ve got dots on your face.”

 

“Those are freckles,” Ruby tells her with a smile.

 

“They’re pretty, they look like stars in the sky.” Charlie’s hazel eyes study Ruby’s features intently, the mesmerized expression on her face making Ruby’s heart skip a beat. 

 

“I’m glad you like them,” Ruby manages to say. 

 

“I love them,” Charlie says, her hand now cupping Ruby’s cheek. “I love every part of you.” She kisses Ruby gently and whispers, “I love  _ you _ .”  

 

Something lodges in Ruby’s throat. She can’t remember the last time someone gave her a compliment, let alone a statement like that. It’s not the first time Charlie’s told Ruby she loves her, but there’s something distinctly different about the way she says it now. Maybe it’s the wine she drank earlier, maybe it’s the way Charlie says it, with a serene smile and stars in her eyes, maybe just because it’s been a long time since someone loved her like this.

 

She doesn’t have time to form a response because Charlie’s lips press to hers more firmly now, intoxication and desire mixing with a dizzying effect on the both of them. Ruby tangles her fingers in Charlie’s hair and kisses her back, and that seems to be all the response that Charlie needs.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment/kudos, please!


End file.
